


Tony's Birthday

by flyingorfalling



Series: Where The Green Grass Grows [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Iron Baby, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-05-16 04:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14804085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingorfalling/pseuds/flyingorfalling
Summary: This was supposed to be a drabble for Tony's birthday, but it became 3000 words of tooth-rotting fluff, so I decided to add more chapters and turn the whole thing into a series.





	1. Tony's Birthday

"Mommy, do you think daddy will like the cake?”  
  
Sitting on the kitchen counter, the four-year-old looked up at her with those big brown eyes she shared with her father, and Pepper kissed her temple and then scooped her up and gave her a squeeze. The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck and rested her curly-topped head against Pepper’s shoulder. Pepper settled her daughter on her hip.  
  
“Daddy’s not gonna like it, he’ll _love_ it,” she answered Morgan’s question, as she grabbed the plate with the cake. “Do you want to carry it?” Morgan shook her head. “Okay, then I’ll carry it upstairs and you can take it before we wake him. How does that sound?” Now she nodded and Pepper had to laugh softly at her daughter’s reaction. “Perfect. Let’s go.”  
  
Upstairs, still in the hallway, Pepper put Morgan down, handing her the cake and she took it with a huge smile on her face, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It was absolutely adorable. Pepper was so smitten with her, she bent down to kiss her on the top of the head several times. Her beautiful curls, also inherited from Tony—only a few people knew about the nature of his hair when it was long—oh so fluffy. Her freckles, the only thing the child had gotten from her mother—though Tony often argued that Morgan had more of her than Pepper thought—sprinkled her skin like gold dust.  
  
“Wait, honey,” Pepper stopped her before she could open the door to the bedroom. “We need candles.”  
  
“No candles,” Morgan protested.  
  
“You don’t want candles? Why do you not want candles? Don’t you think daddy would love—“  
  
“He is too old for candles.”  
  
Pepper had to stifle a laugh. “You know, I think you can never be too old for candles, but it’s your cake, so it’s your decision.”  
  
Morgan frowned. “I want three candles.”  
  
Pepper grinned. That girl blew hot and cold just like her father. “Why three?”  
  
“One for you and one for me and... one for DUM-E,” she explained, “Because we all love daddy.”  
  
“That is absolutely right,” Pepper said, smiling. “You’re a smart girl.”  
  
“But I want the biggest candle, because I love daddy the most.”  
  
“Oh, you do?” Morgan nodded yes. “Well, then I better get the world’s biggest candle, hey?” Her daughter giggled excitedly and waited until her mother got back. “Now we’re good to go,” Pepper said after she had put the candles on the cake and lit them. “Do you want to sing?” Again, the child nodded her head, and so they entered the bedroom with ‘Happy Birthday’ on their lips.  
  
Tony slowly awakened and opened his eyes to see his child stand by his bedside, singing her heart out to him. She held in her hands a tiny cake with three candles in the middle of the chocolate. Behind Morgan stood Pepper, singing along in perfect harmony with their daughter, while her hands rested gently on Morgan’s shoulders. Both his girls seemed to glow in the morning sunlight and they sang sweeter than the birds outside. His lips curled into a smile, coming from someplace inside him that instinctively tapped into the joyful things around him.  
  
“To youuuuuu,” Morgan finished as loudly as she could, and Tony’s smile grew even wider.  
  
“I think we got ourselves a little star here,” he commented, as he sat up in bed and looked at Pepper. “You know Beyoncé got nothin’ on you, princess.” He patted his daughter’s head, still smiling.  
  
“Happy birthday, daddy. Look what I made.” Morgan held the plate out to him and Tony took it from her, as he inspected it thoroughly.  
  
“You did this? By yourself?” Morgan nodded, and Tony looked up at his wife, who was smirking at him, trying not to laugh. “Wow!” He put the cake on the bedside table and, in a swift move, picked his daughter up from the ground to draw her into the circle of his arms. Tony held her tightly for a moment and Morgan snuggled in, taking the comfort he offered before he leaned back to look at her. “Do you know how much I love you?” He smothered her face with kisses and she laughed with her entire body, as Tony’s facial hair tickled her skin.  
  
Then she pulled back and held her arms out wide. “This much.”  
  
“Ten times more than that much,” Tony said, dropping another soft kiss on her cheek.  
  
Morgan chuckled. “And how much do you love mommy?” Rubbing his daughter’s back, Tony looked at Pepper, and he stared so intensely, their child became impatient. “How much?” She hit him gently with her small hand and Tony turned back to her and grinned.  
  
“Beyond measure,” he said. “And you want to know why?” Morgan nodded. “Because your momma gave me you... and you are the most _precious_ thing in the world.” Tony ruffled his daughter’s hair, then tickled her just to hear that adorable laugh one more time.  
  
As Morgan shook with laughter, crying out to him that he should stop, Pepper came to sit by his bedside and Tony immediately pulled her into a hug, feathering kisses from her soft temple to the corner of her mouth. She leaned in so he could kiss her sweet lips, too, and it took almost a minute before they parted. Both of them smiling, Pepper touched his face, her thumb grazing his skin. He closed his eyes and sighed softly. What a beautiful life he was blessed to live! He raised his dark lashes until he could see the shimmer of her rich blue eyes.  
  
“Happy birthday, dear heart,” she whispered to him, kissing his lips. “I’m so happy you were born.”  
  
“Can we eat cake now?” Morgan’s feisty voice cut through the sweet atmosphere like a sharp knife, and both of them laughed.  
  
“You know what we should do first?” Tony said. “We should go to the stables. I believe someone had a baby last night.”  
  
“Wait... You mean... Aspen gave birth? How do you know?” Pepper looked at him surprised.  
  
“Well, I... may have snuck out and watched.” Tony shrugged shamefacedly.  
  
“Tony!” She gave him a deprecating stare. “I told you she could handle it. Animals give birth all the time without anyone looking out for them. You really didn’t have to worry.” Pepper wasn’t angry with him, though. She knew he couldn’t help himself.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I just... wanted to make sure nothing bad happens.”  
  
“And did anything bad happen?”  
  
“Nah,” he shook his head, “I mean, I was freaking out at one point, to be honest... you know when the baby got kinda... stuck... but she rocked that thing like a pro.” Tony grinned. “Just like you when you pushed _that_ one out,” he added, pointing to their daughter and Pepper chuckled.  
  
“Not too bad for a first time, huh?” she replied, running a hand through her daughter’s hair.  
  
Morgan listened closely to her parents’ conversation, trying to make sense of it. Frowning, she thought harder until she finally understood. Her face immediately lit up with a smile and she quickly scrambled out of bed and ran for the door. Tony and Pepper looked at each other, confused for a moment, then Tony laughed out loud and Pepper joined in. They laughed heartily at the lively and excited child that was their daughter, clearly a whirlwind of undirected energy just like her father; full of life and joy.  
  
“We should probably go after her,” Tony said, smirking.  
  
Pepper smirked back at him. “You should get dressed first, because last time I checked, you were fully naked.” She licked her lips, as she remembered last night. The look Tony gave her then, told her that what she had been thinking had shown on her face.  
  
“You wanna...?” Kissing her neck, and sucking lightly on her skin, he maneuvered his hand underneath her shirt and toward her chest, welcoming the fact that Pepper hadn’t gotten properly dressed that morning and was still missing a bra.  
  
Her entire body became flushed as his warm palm covered her breast and she closed her eyes, releasing a soft moan. God, she really wanted to, but now just wasn’t the time. So she pulled his hand gently away, ignoring his little protest. “I don’t wanna... I mean I do, but... You know we can’t right now.”  
  
He sighed. “I love her to death, but sometimes I seriously wish that kid had a pause button.”  
  
“Now you know how I felt with you all those years,” Pepper grinned, giving him another kiss before she got up from the bed. She grabbed the cake and looked at him. “You should at least put on some pants.“  
  
“Hey, we could totally do it in the haystacks while Morgan— That was fun, right? You remember?”  
  
She laughed. “Yeah, it was so much fun getting poked all the time... and being badly bitten by mosquitoes at the most odd places.”  
  
Tony giggled with his eyes squinted in snickering, as if her words were the funniest thing anyone had ever said to him. “Oh, you loved it!” He rose from bed and pushed his body against her. “Admit it, Pepper. You loved being naughty like that. You. Loved. It.” He accentuated every word until he saw a wicked smirk creep across her face. “I knew it,” Tony prided himself.  
  
Pepper shook her head amused. He was such a child! “Get dressed,” she said before exiting the room.  
  
She went downstairs, into the living room and through the double doors out onto the wooden patio. The air was filled with rich, thick smells as she passed the grazing cattle, the horses and alpacas. The smell of the huge sunflower fields was the sweetest on the farm. Her daughter loved running through the flower lined golden pathways, picking the prettiest flowers as a gift for Tony. When they were in bloom, the smell of the fields was almost overwhelming.  
  
After he had retired from being Iron Man, Tony had built this place from scratch. He hadn’t told her a single thing, so when he finally introduced her to their new home, the surprise had moved Pepper to tears. As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, he was still in the superhero business, kind of, but life had changed drastically ever since he had quit the Avengers. Tony wasn’t out there anymore, putting his life in danger, and she didn’t have to worry anymore that he wouldn’t be there to see their daughter grow up. There were days when he worked from home just so he could spend all day with his beloved child.  
  
“Morgan, honey, are you in here?” Pepper called for her daughter inside the big donkey shed.  
  
“Mommy, mommy,” Morgan came running to her. “A baby!”  
  
“You saw the baby?” The child put her hand into her mother’s as they started to walk. Pepper smiled, as she saw the excitement on her kid’s face. “How is it doing? Is it okay?”  
  
“Look, mama... Look!” Her daughter dragged her along, trembling with excitement in a way it almost left her breathless. “It’s so cute!” she squealed. “Look!”  
  
Still carrying the cake in one hand, Pepper put it down and let go of the little one’s hand, as she squatted down, settling Morgan on one knee. She kissed the little head ever so tenderly, as her hand ran over her daughter’s back. The girl was all smiles when she locked eyes with her mother, completely in love with the baby donkey in front of them.  
  
Pepper laughed softly and cradled her gently, but Morgan pushed so hard into the hug that Pepper lost her footing, falling right flat on her back. She tried to break Morgan’s fall to keep her from getting hurt, as her daughter landed on top of her. The girl laughed. It started out as a small giggle and quickly turned into a hearty laugh, which filled the vast space. Relieved that Morgan wasn’t in any pain, Pepper laughed, too.  
  
“You’re having fun without me? On my birthday?” Tony raised his voice. He stood right next to them with a huge grin on his face. “So, how are we on the baby front?” He picked his daughter up, making her stand on her own feet again, and brushed the dust off her clothes.  
  
“It’s so cute, daddy!” Tony adored when she spoke with a lisp.  
  
“I don’t think anything can ever be as cute as you,” he murmured, as he looked at her like she was the golden sun in his blue sky.  
  
“Hey, you’re not helping _me_ up?” Pepper protested playfully.  
  
“Sorry, honey... You’re just not my number one girl anymore.”  
  
Morgan giggled, then took her father by the hand and pulled him with her, as she got closer to where the baby donkey was resting. “Shh... Quiet... Don’t scare it, daddy!”  
  
Tony smiled at the sheer cuteness that was his child. “Would you like to name it, sweet cheeks?” he asked her.  
  
“No, I do not want to name it ‘sweet cheeks’.“ She shook her head.  
  
Pepper laughed, and Tony turned around to her, his look conveying something along the line of ‘God, I could eat this sweet, adorable child we created’ and then turned back to Morgan, smiling at her. “That’s not what I meant. I was wondering, if you want to pick a name for the newest addition to our family.”  
  
“Can I?” Her eyes widened, as she looked at her mother.  
  
“Don’t look at her like she makes all the decisions,” Tony joked.  
  
“You can, sweetie,” Pepper said. “Whatever you want is fine.”  
  
“It’s a boy, by the way. I checked.”  
  
Morgan looked back at Tony. “I like Rhodey,” she said firmly, as though she had already decided, and both her parents tried hard not to laugh.  
  
“You mean, like your uncle?” Tony asked and she nodded. “I’m sure he’d be honored to share his name with a donkey as cute as this one.”  
  
“Pedey,” she let out.  
  
“Pedey?” Tony frowned. “Why Pedey?”  
  
“Because I don’t want Peter to be sad when he comes to visit us,” the little girl explained with a stern face. She was serious about this name-picking thing. “I like him sooo much.”  
  
“But if you name the donkey Peter, then Rhodey might be sad, so Pedey is... both their names... in one?” Tony guessed.  
  
“Can we name him Pedey?”  
  
Pepper stroked her head, dropping down into a squatting position to look her daughter straight in the eyes. “It’s a very beautiful name, Morgan. And you know, your uncle Rhodey and your brother Peter will both be so happy when they hear about it.” She smiled lovingly at her child, as she held on to Tony’s legs for balance.  
  
Tony squatted down next to her, his hand sliding around to the middle of Pepper’s back, pulling her close. “Your mother is right. They will be over the moon when they come to my birthday party tonight.”  
  
“We’re having a party? I didn’t know that.” Pepper arched her eyebrow at him.  
  
“You do _now_ , honey,” he said. “We have something to celebrate, so we will make plans. And by ‘we’ I mean ‘you’... because there’s a reason I leave all the organizing to you.” He could feel a smug grin forming on his lips and tried to cover it. “And you’re the master of acting fast, so how about I send out the invitations and you just get started with... the planning.” He sat down, watching his daughter play with the donkey. “And don’t worry, Pepper, I’ll watch the kid while you’re busy.”  
  
“Tell me again, Tony Stark... Why on Earth did I marry you?”  
  
“Because nobody would take me and you’ve always been a saint.” Grinning broadly, Tony pulled her close again. “And you’ve always been in love with me, Pepper Potts, there’s no denying it, so agreeing to marry me was kinda... beyond your control.”  
  
She laughed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. “I hate you.” Her words were muffled, but he heard them anyway and he let the grin touch his ears.  
  
“I hate you, too,” he said, waving his arms around to get his daughter’s attention. “Here, baby... Please... I can’t compete with a donkey, but I’m really craving some cake right now. Can you get it? Your mom’s busy latching onto me... which is totally fine, it just keeps me from... moving.” Morgan put the plate with the cake right in front of him. Tony smiled. “You’re such a good kid.”  
  
“You can’t blow out the candles,” she stated, looking at it, and the expression on her face changed. She was tearing up. “What about your wish? Can you make a wish without candles?” she almost cried.  
  
“Oh, they’re out,” Pepper noticed. “That must’ve been the wind.” She pulled back a little, one arm around Tony, and cupped her daughter’s cheek. “I’m really sorry, baby. Don’t be sad!”  
  
“Come here, sugar bug,” Tony said softly, as he extended one arm, his eyes beckoning her to come into his embrace. Morgan jumped into his arms, snuggling against him, and closed her eyes. “You know, right now I’ve got my arms around my two favorite people in the world,” Tony whispered. “And I’m here on the farm I built, with a lot of cute animals, a baby donkey named Pedey, and a chocolate cake that my very sweet and truly amazing daughter made for me—“  
  
“But you can’t blow out the candles and make a wish!” Morgan’s voice was a mix between sadness, anger and disappointment.  
  
“Listen to me, pumpkin.” He kept running soothing circles on her back with his hand. “Like I said... I have all these things... and my beautiful girls... There really isn’t anything else I could wish for. I’m so insanely and foolishly happy right now... because of you and your mother... Every single one of my wishes came true. And you know what else?” Tony pulled back and Morgan looked up to him. “I got even more than I wished for.”  
  
“You did?” she sniffed.  
  
“I totally did!” Tony gently wiped a tear from her face with his thumb.  
  
“Then you don’t need candles,” Morgan said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
“Your cake is perfect just the way it is, my sweet, sweet girl.” Tony gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head. “No more tears now, okay? Because I don’t like it when you cry. It hurts me. And I don’t want my baby to be in any pain... especially not today when it’s my birthday.”  
  
“I’m sorry.” Morgan snuggled back into him.  
  
“Don’t be sorry,” he said, sighing. “We all get a little sad sometimes. But you know one thing that always puts me in a good mood?” Pausing, he waited for Morgan to look at him. “Chocolate!” Tony ruffled her curls and she giggled, trying to fight him off. “I can’t wait to eat all the cake. You want to help me?”  
  
“Yes,” she answered, excited again. Then her mood swung back round. “Do we have to leave Pedey?” Her voice couldn’t hide the sadness.  
  
“No, we don’t,” Tony assured her. “We don’t have any forks or spoons, but I think mama will let us use our hands just this once.”  
  
He turned to the side, giving Pepper a pleading look, and the woman in question quickly noticed that her daughter’s eyes held the exact same expression as Tony’s. She laughed at that realization.  
  
“Go ahead and make a mess, you two knuckleheads,” she said, “I’m not stopping you.”  
  
Morgan squealed, as she grabbed the cake with both her hands and sunk her teeth right into it. Once she had put it down, Tony did the same thing. Both their faces were covered in chocolate. Laughing, they assisted each other to clean up the mess. Morgan splayed her fingers across Tony’s face, getting all the chocolate she could, then licked it off each finger with relish. Tony used his mouth, smothering her face with kisses, and she laughed, falling back into the hay. He leaned right over her, tickling her, kissing her, telling her how adorable she looked with that chocolate face.  
  
Pepper watched her husband play with their daughter with tear-filled eyes. She had to smile at the fact that for someone who didn’t even want any candles on the cake at first, Morgan had been pretty upset. But this only reminded Pepper of how much she loved Morgan's varying moods. That little girl was such a blessing to her and Tony’s life, her heart seemed far too small to hold all the love she felt for her daughter. Becoming a mother had taught her the true meaning of love. She hadn't told Tony, not yet, but their second child was on the way, and Pepper couldn't wait for it to be born and meet her beautiful family.


	2. Morgan's Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to turn this into a series of fluffy nonsense about Morgan’s life. There isn't gonna be a big story arc, but one incident may be split up into more chapters. I already have a few more ideas and am super excited to share them with you, but if there’s anything you’d like to see happening, please let me know. I’d love to cater to your Iron Baby needs. This chapter is a continuation of Tony’s birthday to show Morgan's interactions with other people. I got carried away with the writing again, so I'm posting this now and the rest of it later. I won't have this beta’d so I can update sooner. Thank you for all the lovely feedback!

Of course, Pepper had managed to pull it off. She had gotten a caterer last minute and a team to set up the large wooden barn where she and Tony and had held the wedding reception a few years ago. The barn was a fairly intimate space with room for around a hundred people. There was a dance floor, and several rows of folding chairs facing the stage. Christmas lights strung from the rafters and illuminated the items that decorated the walls—wedding photographs, drawings of Iron Man from all the kids Tony inspired and pictures of Morgan. Everything that was or had been an important part of Tony’s life was up on those walls.

Tony also wanted the team to blow up balloons. He wanted streamers and banners and red-gold confetti, matching Iron Man plates and cups and napkins, and of course Pepper made sure he got all that, because she didn’t want him to get grumpy. Because when Tony was grumpy, then his daughter usually was too, as if they were somehow connected. It was something she certainly adored about Morgan—that she was such a daddy’s girl—but it cut both ways. Sometimes, watching her daughter copy Tony's moods could be exhausting.

The big sliding barn door was cut in half and made into two panels on each side of an entrance porch. Inside, the sun rays sifted through cracks in the boarded sides of the barn and played along the walls. It was a beautiful setting, and Pepper couldn’t help but grin upon realizing that the decoration looked a lot like they were having a children’s party. It was so Tony, everything about it, but especially the Iron Man theme. She knew he would love it—just as much as their daughter probably—and if her man was happy then she was, too. He deserved to have a silly birthday bash.

“I think you did an amazing job with this, Pepper.” She knew exactly who that voice belonged to.

“Thanks, Rhodey,” she said, as she welcomed him with a hug.

“So where is my favorite niece?” he asked.

“You mean, your only niece?” she replied with a smirk.

“Still my favorite.” Rhodey smirked back at her.

“She’s getting ready for the party,” Pepper told him, as they walked to the house. “She said she wanted to look extra pretty for daddy tonight, and I should go see how she’s doing, but we’ll see you later. Tony’s with the alpacas.”

“Bonding with family?”

She laughed. “Yeah.”

Upstairs, Pepper opened the door to her daughter’s room and saw her clothes scattered all over the floor. Her little girl didn’t really know how to dress herself, at least had never done it by herself, but Morgan had insisted to be left alone, so Pepper had let her. Now she stood in front of the mirror with a midnight blue dress that had sort of iridescent stripes in the flouncy skirt, which flared at the bottom like a tulip. Pepper couldn’t remember her daughter ever wearing that dress.

She let out a high pitched squeal of delight. “Oh my God, you look so cute!”

When Morgan turned her head, Pepper instantly felt worry gripping her heart, creating a heavy feeling in her chest. The corners of her daughter's mouth were tilted downwards, and with those puffy eyes, she looked, like she had been crying.

“What is wrong, Morgan?”

“I don’t like it.” The child made a sound of disapproval.

“Why not?”

“It’s blue.” Morgan pouted, as if she were going to cry, and took a deep sobbing breath. Pepper thought of how much she resembled her father when she pouted. “But daddy’s favorite color is red.”

“Oh, my baby...” Pepper sat down on the Spider-Man bedspread and opened her arms to her daughter. “Come here.” Morgan crawled into her lap and Pepper held her little girl close, then leaned back to look in her eyes. “You want to know what your daddy’s favorite color is?” She paused. “The color of your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

“Yes, your eyes. And do you want to know why?” The child nodded yes. “Because when he looks into your beautiful brown eyes, your daddy can see just how much you love him and that means the world to him.” Pepper kissed the crown of her daughter’s head over and over, rocking her gently in her arms. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to your father and he is so happy that he gets to celebrate his birthday with you. He doesn’t care what color your dress is or what you’re wearing, sweetie. He just wants you to be there. Do you understand that?”

“So, he is happy even if I’m naked?” she asked, frowning.

Pepper laughed softly. “You so are your father’s child,” she mumbled. “Yes, baby... Even if you didn’t have anything to wear to his party, your daddy would still be very happy.“

Morgan pulled back and stared at her mother. “You have blue eyes,” she said, as she reached out to touch Pepper’s face, and Pepper closed her eyes for a minute to savor the moment.

“I do,” she then said, smiling.

“Like my dress.”

“Not quite like your dress, but—“

“You’re so pretty, mama.”

Pepper could feel the emotions rise when tears shot into her eyes and blurred her vision. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones in action, or maybe it was simply the fact that she was completely overwhelmed with happiness. Her daughter was special in every way. She had done more than showing her how deep a mother’s bond to her child could be. From the moment their baby had been born, Pepper had felt a much stronger connection with Tony than ever before. Morgan’s arrival had deepened their love for one another in ways never thought possible. She loved Tony more than she thought a woman could ever love a man, and motherhood was a gift he had given her that she would never take for granted.

“Thank you, baby.” A tear escaped from her eye and ran slowly down her cheek.

Morgan now noticed her mother’s expression. “Are you sad?” she asked, wiping the tear away, and Pepper immediately felt more tears erupting from her eyes.

That child was so sensitive to other people’s feelings, to their suffering, she sensed when things were going well or poorly for someone. She sensed people’s moods, shared in their joys, and commiserate with their troubles. She picked up the most subtle signals and could so easily make someone forget about their pain, Tony had said once that these human relations skills were their daughter’s superpowers. And though it was meant as a joke, they both had known there was some truth to it. Morgan’s high level of empathy was definitely something they were incredible proud of.

“Those are happy tears,” Pepper explained to her. “You know, when daddy tickles you and won’t stop, and you cry because you have to laugh so much? It’s the same thing. I’m crying because I’m happy.“

Morgan smiled, relief flooding her face. Then the little one threw her arms around her mother’s neck, and Pepper hugged her tightly.

“I love you so much, mommy,” she said, clinging to Pepper.

“I love you even more, sweetheart,” Pepper replied, as tears continued to stream silently down her face.

“No,” Morgan protested, “I love you more... You are the best mommy in the world.”

Hearing those words fall from Morgan’s lips tumbled Pepper’s heart in her chest. Hardly able to wipe the huge smile off her face, she slowly stopped crying, sniffing away the last of her tears. She closed her eyes and let a few minutes pass by, sighing in the back of her throat, as she kept stroking her daughter’s head. Was it selfish of her to wish that her little girl would forever stay this way? Little? Because once she was grown up, a teenager, Morgan wouldn’t want to cuddle with her mother anymore and instead be driving her parents crazy—probably more so since she took so much after her father already—and Pepper just wanted to hold on to her daughter’s innocence forever. She would never be ready to let go.

“Please remember that when you’re a big girl, okay?” Pepper chuckled. “Now give mama a kiss.” Morgan giggled and gave her mother a big whopping kiss on the lips, and Pepper responded with a hearty ‘mwah’ sound. “So, what are we gonna do about your dress? Do you want to try on another one?”

Morgan shook her head. “I like this dress, because it’s blue... like your eyes,” she said, as though she had never had a problem with that dress in the first place. She hopped off her mother’s lap and looked at her like she was waiting for something.

“Do you want me to do your hair?” Pepper asked, trying to read her daughter’s expression, and when she nodded, Pepper smiled.

* * *

Not all of the Avengers had made it to their farm on such short notice, but at least his closest friends were there to celebrate with him: Rhodey, Happy, Bruce, Natasha, Steve and Peter. And then there were also a few of his S.H.I.E.L.D co-workers and a bunch of people Tony didn’t really know—officials from the State of New York and reporters—that he had invited to cater to the public’s interest in his personal life. He gave interviews and arranged a photo op, telling the press they could take pictures of everything and everyone, except his daughter. When it came to Morgan, he and Pepper still made sure to keep her out of the public eye as much as possible. If any pictures were ever leaked to the press, they usually came from Tony himself.

“Are we done here?” The tone of his voice was polite, yet people could tell he was growing impatient.

Amid the flashing cameras, Pepper took him by the arm and guided him away from the press. “I think your daughter may be scared to set a foot in this barn, because of all the press in here. You know, she’s not used to that, Tony.” She sighed. “I get why you wanted them here, it’s just a bit too much for our child.”

“You want me to send them home?” he asked, completely serious. “I can do that, you know? It’s fine.”

“Just tell those _animals_ to act like normal people for at least a few hours... until she’s going to bed.”

“You got it, honey,” he said, pecking her lips. Then he turned back to the media, “Listen up, people! You had your fun, got everything you need, and now Princess Stark is about to make an appearance, so if anyone of you doesn’t know how to act civil in the presence of a four-year-old, the door’s right there.” He paused. “No, let me put it this way... If I see anyone trying to snap a pic without my permission, or harassing my kid, you’re facing one _hell_ of a lawsuit. Don’t make me regret inviting you.”

The reporters and photographers escaped like ants from the hot water being poured on them. They hurried away, blending in with the other people in the room, very much to Tony’s liking. He turned to Pepper with a smirk on his lips, still amazed how well that protective-dad mode suited him. He loved looking out for his little girl and make sure no harm was ever done to her. He constantly tried to create an environment that gave his child potential to be safe and to grow as a person, to love and guide it, and while it wasn’t always easy, Tony was proud of himself for he had become a better father than his dad ever was.

“How does she look?”

“See for yourself,” Pepper said to him, as she faced the barn door. “It’s okay, honey,” she spoke softly, addressing their daughter. “It’s just me and daddy now.“

When Morgan kept hiding outside—only once did she peek through the door—Tony grinned. It never ceased to surprise him that his daughter’s bubbly nature hid such shyness. But it only made him love her more. She was freaking adorable!

“Come on... Let me have a look at my gorgeous girl,” he encouraged her. “Please? Pretty please?”

Shyly, the little one stepped forward, and Tony went stock-still. His daughter was wearing a pretty, blue dress, and on her face a smile Tony thought was there just for him. When she moved, the folds in the skirt looked blue and the creases black and the dress swayed so elegantly, as if it was dancing with her. In Morgan’s curly hair was pinned a baby-blue ribbon with slightly frayed ends, and her pink ballet flats flaunted glittery upper that featured a velvet bow accent. Tony had never seen his daughter look more beautiful, and he was so moved by the sight that he began to tear up.

“Is that really our girl?” he asked Pepper while he kept his eyes on Morgan, and wiped away a tear with the palm of his hand.

“She’s starting to grow up,” Pepper replied, smiling at Tony’s reaction.

“I forbid it,” he said, catching a glimpse of his wife. “She’s not allowed to grow up. Not ever.”

Every day with his daughter was like opening up a jewelry box filled with beautiful, sparkling treasures and she was the most priceless treasure of them all. Tony couldn’t imagine ever letting her leave home to take on the world. What if she went to college and never called? What if she was so busy being an adult, she wouldn’t have time to come home anymore? Or worse, she didn’t _want_ to come home? The thought of becoming a father had freaked him the hell out, but it didn’t compare to this feeling of seeing his baby girl grow up and the fear of missing out. He didn’t want to miss one moment of her life.

Clutching a piece of paper in her chubby fingers, which she had rolled up and tied with a pink bow, Morgan stood in front of him. The excitement of showing everyone just how beautiful she looked was all over her face, but right now, all she cared about was her father’s opinion. She didn’t say it, but Tony could feel it. He knew that look she was giving him, because it was the exact same look he gave Pepper whenever he wanted her opinion on something. Sometimes being subtle was being obvious, at least in his case—and his daughter’s.

“I must be dreaming,” Tony said and crouched down to her level. Touching her arms, her hair, face and legs, he shook his head. “I’m not. You’re real! I thought you were an angel.” Morgan giggled. “Are you Morgan Stark?” She nodded. “Are you sure?” Tony looked deeply into her eyes, and she nodded again, as she tried not to laugh. “Then, I am officially the luckiest man on Earth, because my daughter looks like a real princess.” He kissed her cheek, “I adore your pretty face and your beautiful dress. You look perfect... just perfect,” and then the other one.

Morgan looked up at her mother, her face beaming with happiness. Then she looked back at Tony, her eyes holding the warm love of her heart. “This is for you, daddy!” she said, holding out her gift for him.

“You know, I don’t like being handed things, but this... This I love to be handed,” he told her, and Morgan giggled whereas her mother couldn't help but laugh. “I thought the cake was your present,” he said, unrolling the small piece of paper. “But this is nice. Because who doesn't love to get more presents? But you, uh, don’t have to give me much... You know that, don’t you? One birthday gift is fine. Because I would still love you if you didn’t give me anything. I will always love you. Because you’re you... and you mean more to me than all the birthday presents in the world put together.”

“Just open it, daddy!” Morgan stomped her foot, impatient.

“Alright, alright.” Tony laughed. “I just wanted to make sure you know that I don’t expect you to—” Morgan stomped her foot again, and Tony laughed louder. “You’re definitely my kid,” he noted and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he looked at the gift. It was a drawing of three people—a father, a mother and a child—in Iron Man suits, and Tony smirked as it became obvious to him what this was all about.

“This is you... and this is mommy” Morgan pointed at the different figures of her drawing with her index finger, “and this is me.”

Tony aimed a smug grin at Pepper. “See? This is what I’ve been trying to tell you... My days as Iron Man may be over, but we could still suit up and have some fun.”

“Until someone gets hurt,” Pepper countered, grinning at him.

“Why would we get hurt? We’re not gonna be heroes, just...”

“No one gets hurt, mommy,” the girl came to her father’s defense. “And I want—“

“No... You’re not gonna get a suit, Morgan.” Pepper cut her off.

“Pep, please... Don’t make our child cry on my birthday.” Tony pleaded, still wearing a grin on his face.

“Daddy, can you make me a suit?” Morgan had already learned that ignoring her mother wouldn’t work, it never did, but she could at least try. “I want to be like you.”

“I’ve heard that sentence before, kid, and, uh, let’s just say, it didn’t end so well. But I promise you, I’m gonna talk to your mama about it and we’ll find a way for you to—“

“Tony, please don’t promise her to get something you _know_ she’s never gonna have.”

Tony got up from the ground and put a hand on Pepper’s arm, as if that could have a magic effect on her. “Honey, I have ideas, okay?” He used his softest voice possible; the one that poured over her like warm cream, blowing all defenses. “About this whole suit thing... and they’re safe. Nothing dangerous.” Pepper sighed, and Tony knew his magic was working and she wasn’t entirely saying no the thought. “It’s gonna be fun, trust me.”

Pepper looked him dead in the eye. “Just promise me, you’re not going to—“

“I quit. That’s a done deal.” Putting a strand of her hair back in place, he smiled. He knew exactly what she was worried about. He knew _why_ she worried. But there was no reason to. “I’m not planning to go back into that superhero business. Not now, not ever. I’m happy with my life and I wouldn’t change a thing. You and my daughter are my priority. Nothing else matters.”

Pepper heaved another deep sigh. The thought certainly scared her, but at the same time she trusted him to know what he was doing, as far as his suits were concerned. “If she gets so much as a _scratch_... I will kill you, Tony Stark.”

“Fair enough,” Tony remarked with a smirk, kissing her temple. “But hear me out first, alright?”

“I'm getting a suit?” Morgan’s big brown eyes looked up at them.

“Your mom... I mean, _we_... are not saying no...”

“But we’re not saying yes either,” Pepper finished his sentence.

Although the little girl was a bit disappointed, she still smiled. If there was even the slightest chance that she could have a suit like her father, it was something to put all her hope in. She had always loved the fact that her daddy was a hero to so many people out there, and she was so proud to be his child. She had never seen him in one of his suits, but she had seen so many pictures and heard so many great stories about it, she couldn’t wait to experience it first hand—and both her parents knew that she did. They knew how much she loved telling a total stranger that her dad was Iron Man; how proud she looked to see the admiration, the love, of other people for her dad. Morgan Stark would always be Iron Man’s biggest fan.

“Come here,” Tony said, scooping her up in his arms. He hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much for your drawing, Morgan. I love it!”

Morgan gave him a kiss on the lips, making that same ‘mwah’ sound that Pepper had made before. “I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too, sweet thing.”

Tony shed a tear when his daughter’s arms wrapped around his neck with such intensity it seemed she didn’t want to let go of him ever again. As the tear brushed her soft skin, she asked, without pulling away, “Are you crying happy tears?”

Tony laughed, looking at Pepper, and nodded. “Yes, baby.”

“Mommy cried happy tears, too,” their child responded.

“Then we should give mommy a big hug as well, shouldn’t we?”

The moment he said it, Morgan let go and opened her arms to her mother. At the same time, Tony extended one arm to welcome Pepper into the embrace, and Pepper didn’t let that invitation last long. Grinning, she stepped into the hug and flung her arms around both Tony and their daughter. She kissed the back of Morgan’s head and the soft skin of her neck. Then she met Tony’s eyes and smiled. Keeping their baby girl safely locked between their bodies, they kissed a few times with eyes closed, and let the warmth of that sandwich hug embrace them, their foreheads touching. They held each other so tight, they had to wonder if there was even enough room left for their daughter to breathe properly.

Tony opened his eyes and used one hand to cup Pepper’s cheek. Their eyes were filled with tears, cheeks wet, but neither of them seemed to care enough to wipe the tears off. Pepper smiled at him again, feeling the undeniable connection between them in the deepest reaches of her heart. She knew it was time to tell him about the pregnancy. She had wanted this to be his birthday gift all along, but she wanted them to be alone when she finally told him. She had spent so many weeks just thinking of ways to break the news to him, she was so excited about it, she could hardly wait. Happiness radiated about her like an aura that extended itself towards Tony and engulfed him.

“Thank you for this incredible gift,” he whispered to her, as he ran his thumb down the side of her face, making sure not to let go of the child he held in his other arm.

“You mean her?” Pepper laughed softly. “My pleasure.”

“It was mine too.” Tony joked. “Ever thought about...” He cocked a well-sculpted eyebrow at her.

“Doing it again?”

He nodded, smirking, and she just smirked back at him, not saying a word. But there was something in her eye that seemed to catch his attention. “Are you saying yes?”

“I thought we were already working on it?” Pepper feigned innocence. She was relieved that Tony hadn’t managed to read in her eyes that she had briefly thought about telling him about the baby right now. “Isn’t that what all the... playing contact sports... was for?” She didn’t feel like mentioning sex in the presence of their daughter.

Tony's smirk widened. He didn't have trouble understanding that reference. “I must’ve missed somehow that you... weren’t wearing protective headwear.”

“You’re talking funny,” Morgan said with a giggle, her arms still wrapped around Tony's neck, while she watched her mother’s hands move up and down her father’s back, as Pepper was stroking it gently. Morgan usually wasn't one to screw up her face in disgust at her parents' display of affection, but she did have moments where it could get a little too close to the bone for her liking.

“So, we’re... actively trying?” Tony asked in a quiet, hopeful voice. Well, not anymore, Pepper thought, considering they had already done more than trying.

“I guess we are,” she said, smiling at him.

Tony’s face lit up instantly and he pulled her close again. “I love you, Pepper Potts... Uh, Stark... Sorry, old habits... I’m actually head over heels in love with you.”

“I can see that,” Pepper answered, chuckling, and brushed her lips against his.

He closed the distance between them, dropping a hot kiss on her lips that was filled with as much passion as they could handle while being in public. They tried not to have their tongues join the action, but it was a lot harder than they thought it would be. Tony’s breath caught in his throat, escaping in a small gasp when their lips parted, and he was worried for a moment that his ardent desire was showing between his legs. Pepper looked at him, as though she could sense his fear. A huge grin spread across her face. It wouldn’t be the first time he had to hide an erection in public, but it certainly would be a first for him with his friends around.

“Do you mind, if I take a picture or are you gonna sue me too?”

“Uncle Rhodey!” Morgan screamed, and Tony had to tighten his grip on her to keep the wiggling child from jumping out of his arms.

“Whoa, easy there, girl,” he said, carefully putting her down.

Morgan ran towards Rhodey, and he squatted down on his haunches and embraced her in a hug. He let go after a while, smiling at her, and she smiled back, excited that he had finally come see her.

“Oh, look what I've found," Rhodey said, voice full of excitement, and to Morgan’s amazement, he skillfully made it seem as if a shiny coin had unfurled from inside Morgan’s ear. “Your dad said you’re saving money to buy a pony, so I think this will help. Let me see, if there’s...” He moved his hand to her other ear. “I knew there was more. Look!” Morgan gazed at the two coins in his hands and then looked at him, and to see the happiness in her eyes warmed Rhodey’s heart.

“It’s for me?” she asked excitedly.

“Of course. Come on, take it!” He smiled. “You look very, very pretty, by the way. Like a beautiful lady.”

“Don’t say lady,” Tony intervened. “That sounds so old... And this little girl here will stay young forever.”

“You wish!” Rhodey grinned at him. “One day you’ll wake up, Tones, and find her boyfriend trying to sneak out of the window.”

“Ugh, boyfriend is a term we don’t use in this house... _Ever_ ,” Tony said, shuddering with disgust. Thinking of his little girl and another man—a lover—made his hair stand on end. It was already bad enough that he had to let her out of the house one day. Adding a boyfriend to that scenario was quite frankly his worst nightmare. “How can you be so calm about this?” he addressed Pepper.

“I think I’m just...” Pepper shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Well, you weren’t the ideal boyfriend either, but somehow I ended up with you as my husband and the father of my child, so I guess I’m just hoping that my daughter has the same influence on whatever man she chooses to be with that I had on you.”

“She does have point,” Rhodey noted, smirking, as he ruffled Morgan’s hair. The toddler was still trying to figure out how the coins Rhodey had conjured like a rabbit out of a hat had fit into her ear and why she hadn’t noticed them being there. Rhodey liked the way the small vertical wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows when she frowned. Everyone did. It was so cute.

“You two think this is funny? This is not funny.” Tony shook his head, as if to dismiss a painful subject.

“Oh, it _is_ funny.” Standing up, Rhodey laughed, as he patted Tony on the shoulder. “But, don’t worry, man. I’ll make sure she stays away from guys like you.”

“Okay, that’s it… You’re uninvited from this party,” Tony groaned a little in annoyance.

Morgan’s eyes shot up to her father’s at the sound of his words. “Uncle Rhodey can’t leave,” she almost shouted. She stared at Rhodey, then at her mother and back at Tony, searching his face for reassurance.

“I’m not going anywhere, beautiful,” Rhodey said, quickly glancing at Tony who appeared completely baffled by how attentive his child was, even when she didn’t seem to be listening. “And you know what? You and I, we’re gonna go grab some food and let your father be haunted by ghosts of the future.”

“Ghosts aren’t real,” Morgan argued, trying to sound as convincing as possible—she didn’t want anyone to know she was actually scared of ghosts—and took Rhodey by the hand.

“To your dad, these ghosts are very real… Believe me.” Rhodey laughed a little harder, looking at his friend. Tony’s troubled face reflected the fear of a father who couldn’t protect his child from growing up and having to learn that the real world out there was not only kind and pleasant but also cruel and dangerous. It was a constant source of worry, causing new-parent anxiety and restlessness; not just for him, but for Pepper too. Rhodey could see it in her eyes, no matter how hard she tried not to let it show on her face. “It’ll be fine,” he said to both Tony and Pepper. “This girl got a bunch of superheroes looking out for her. She’ll be okay.” He smiled at the couple and then looked down at their kid who held his hand. “Right, Morgan?” He gave her a wink and she giggled, nodding her head.

“Can we go now?” she asked, pulling at Rhodey’s arm. She was eager to get in line for the buffet, because the faster they were done with eating, the sooner she could introduce Rhodey to the baby donkey—and that was literally all she could think about right now.

“Patience isn’t her strong suit,” Rhodey remarked, “I wonder where she got that from,” and cocked an eyebrow at Tony. When Tony rolled his eyes at him, he chuckled and then walked away.

“You really think we don’t have to worry?” Tony asked Pepper.

“Yes,” she answered, as she hooked her arm through his, forcing him to step closer, and leaned against him, resting her head on Tony’s shoulder. “But I do it anyway.” Pepper sighed a deep, long sigh, while she stared into the distance where Rhodey was being swamped by a flood of words coming out of their daughter’s mouth.

“We could lock her up until she’s thirty, you know.” Running his fingers over the soft flesh of her inner arm, Tony turned his head to get a better view of Pepper’s face. “This farm still needs a security system. I mean a better one. And our daughter’s already a smartass, so she doesn’t need to go to college, right? And I can put a tracker on her just in case she manages to get away.” Eyebrows raised, a haughty smirk filled out his cheeks. “C’mon, Pep… It’ll be fun watching her try to outsmart F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

Smirking back at him, Pepper ran a hand through his short hair and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. Then she laced her fingers with Tony’s and held onto his arm with her other hand. Her head fell back against his shoulder and her eyes focused on the drawing in his hands. “I didn’t know she wanted a suit,” she said softly, wondering if this could change anything.

Tony looked at his daughter’s gift. “Do _you_ want one?” he then asked curiously.

“You bet your ass, if my daughter’s getting a suit, I will too.”

Laughing, Tony tilted his head and kissed her hair, then lowered it to rest against hers. “Speaking of… What do I get?”

“You mean from me? For your birthday?”

“Sí.”

“Oh, you’ll have to wait until tonight.” The very idea of seeing his reaction made a chuckle burble up in her throat.

“It is tonight… Like, right now… It's tonight!”

“Later.”

“When is later?”

 “I’m not gonna give it to you until we’re alone.”

“Then let’s go and be alone.”

“Tony,” she said, laughing, “I didn’t organize this goddamn party for you so you could find an excuse not to attend it.”

“Honey…” He lifted his head and batted his lashes at her.

“Don’t honey me, it’s not gonna work.”

“But it’s my birthday,” he whined, playfully pinching her arm.

“And that’s why we’re celebrating... Now... With all of these beautiful people.” She dragged him along, as she walked towards the group of friends gathered at their table. “But what I got for you will be worth the wait.” She turned to face him and grinned. “Although, I’m afraid, you’re gonna have to wait a lot longer until you get it all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tony wondered.

“You’ll see,” she said, her cheeks bursting with held back laughter.

“Oh, c’mon now… This isn’t fair, Pepper!”

“Life never is... _honey_.” And then the laughter escaped, but she swallowed it quickly in a kiss, a kiss that almost made him forget about all the secrecy—almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter/Morgan fluff is coming up next.


	3. Pinky Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fluff warning: This part is complete nonsense, but hopefully enjoyable. And I hope you get the bedtime story telling thing they've got going on, because I suck at explaining it. There'll be two more chapters for Tony's birthday and then we're moving on to something else :) Haven't forgotten about my other story btw, just waiting for my beta to get back at me.

Tony opened the banquet by giving a short speech about how happy he was to be living the life he had built for himself, thanking his wife for her great organization skills in making this party happen last minute and Pepper’s unconditional support in general. He encouraged everyone to eat heartily and enjoy the night, and after that, Rhodey surprised him by raising his glass to tell an embarrassing story from their time at MIT, pointing out how much his friend had changed. With a grin, he then sealed the toast by clinking his glass against Tony’s. He told him what a lucky bastard he was for having a wife and kid and such a beautiful home and Tony couldn’t even respond with a witty remark, because Rhodey was right. He sure was lucky—and a bastard.  
  
They spent almost an hour having dinner. The caterer had delivered so many different kinds of food that it felt like a seven-course menu. They couldn’t imagine the last time they had had so much to eat, but it was a real treat. And to see each and every one of their guests enjoying themselves while they engaged in lively discussions with each other during dinner was a lovely thing to witness for both Tony and Pepper. Standing next to each other, his arm around her waist, they smiled, as they watched Morgan play tag with Happy. That man adored the little girl as much as everyone else did and Morgan had a very special relationship with him, because he had been there for her a lot when she was just a baby; like a nanny, always looking out for her.  
  
“Happy is so great with her... Makes you wonder why he never had kids of his own.” Tony mumbled, making Pepper laugh. Turning to him, she smirked. “What?” he let out. “Don’t act like you’ve never asked yourself the same thing.”  
  
“I have,” she said, “But I’m not sure he even has time for a girlfriend. He is so busy babysitting you.”  
  
“Not anymore, Pep.” Tony ignored the teasing, but pinched her gently in the side. “We really should get him a date. Maybe set him up like right now... Tonight?”

“Well, what type of women does he like?” she asked. She knew hooking Happy up with a random girl was a lost cause, because Happy was as stubborn as Tony sometimes, but it might be worth a try. He definitely deserved to have a good woman take care of him, like he had taken such good care of Tony all those years.  
  
“We seriously gonna do this?” Tony was surprised Pepper was going for that kind of thing. She just grinned to say yes. “Well, I think he had a major crush on you, so...“  
  
“He did not.”  
  
“Pep, listen to me... He totally did.” Tony’s face was dead serious. “You were just too, um... in love with me to notice that.“

“Stop it!” She hit him lightly against the chest, trying not to laugh.  
  
“No need to be embarrassed about it,” Tony continued, “It’s fine. Can’t say I blame him.” He smirked, and Pepper hit him again, a little harder this time. “Ouch!”  
  
“Maybe I should’ve married him instead then,” she answered drily.  
  
“Double ouch,” Tony said, and she chuckled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. But when she did, Tony swiftly tilted his head so her lips landed on his mouth. “Aw, better.”  
  
Pepper chuckled, giving him another kiss, as she spoke against his lips, “You’re such a jerk!”  
  
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he mumbled.  
  
“Oh, I will, Tony... I will.” She eyed him, smiling a secret smile, and instantly got a rise out of him.  
  
“Is this about my present again... which you won’t tell me about?” He almost groaned, as he spoke, which made her smile turn into a grin—an _evil_ one, Tony thought.  
  
Pepper loved making fun of him and seeing how easily irritated he was. She thought it was rather obvious what she wanted to tell him, but he didn’t seem to be able to get any of it. It was probably because he hated to know she had secrets, secrets she didn’t want to share with him, and this hate blinded him to see what was right in front of him. Pepper was certain, he could figure out her secret if Tony just stopped being so mad about having to wait for its reveal. It was a hell lot funnier this way, though; seeing him squirm underneath all this secretiveness.  
  
“I told you, it’ll be worth it,” Pepper said. “I promise.”  
  
“What’s worth what?”  
  
“Oh, look who it is,” Tony saluted Happy, “The child wrestler.”  
  
The man took a deep breath, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Seriously, that kid has so much energy. I don’t know how you guys do it.”  
  
“With love,” Tony replied, patting him on the shoulder. “We do it with love. Twenty-four hours a day.”

“Does that girl ever calm down? I’m exhausted. But she’s with Rhodey now so you can relax. I will—”  
  
“Hey, why don’t we just...” Flinging an arm around Happy, Tony guided him to a table, “Sit down and have a little... talk... about... your life.” He gave Pepper a telling look, one that said she should let him do the work of trying to find Happy a woman to go out on a date with, and Pepper had to try hard not to laugh. Tony really was a jerk—an adorable one.  
  
Pepper sat down next to Natasha, joining in on her conversation with Bruce. She didn’t know how many minutes passed until Rhodey joined them, seeming almost as exhausted as Happy before. “Where is she?” she asked, looking around.  
  
“You mean Morgan?” She nodded. “Um, she said something about a surprise for me and then a name, but I can’t remember what it was.”  
  
“Pedey?” Pepper was immediately alarmed.  
  
“Yeah, that’s the one. Said she’d get him here, because he’d love to meet me.” Rhodey looked confused. Pepper clearly felt uncomfortable and he didn’t understand why that name would raise any red flags.  
  
“Oh no!“ Pepper quickly got up from her chair, waving at Tony who had told Happy by now that he needed to get into the world of dating—the annoyed look on Happy’s face was too obvious. It was a statement of him knowing about Tony’s plans and not liking them.  
  
“Who _is_ that guy?” Rhodey asked.  
  
“It’s not a guy,” Pepper answered. When she saw the look on Rhodey’s face, she added, “It’s complicated.” She didn’t want to ruin her child’s surprise by telling Rhodey about the donkey, but she also didn’t want her daughter to ruin the party.  
  
“What’s going on?” Tony wondered. “You okay?“ He had put Happy off to see what all the fuss was about. “Why you waving your hands at me like you’re some kind of air traffic controller on the runway, huh?”  
  
Pepper dragged him away from the small crowd. “I think our daughter is trying—“  
  
“What’s she doing with the baby donkey?” Tony cut her short and Pepper turned around, facing the barn door.  
  
“I didn’t actually think she’d know how to put a leash on him,” Pepper said in wonder. “I guess our baby’s full of surprises.”  
  
Morgan walked over to them, Pedey following her, like she had already trained him to a near perfect heel. Both Pepper and Tony watched, as she approached them with a huge smile on her face. The whole crowd seemed to freeze at the sight of a little girl taking a donkey for a walk. Those city people simply weren’t used to farm life, Tony guessed. He was surprised too, though. The way his kid handled the animal was like she had never done anything else in her life. His daughter and that baby donkey definitely had some kind of connection, and he was happy that his child got to make memories like these. Living on this farm, Morgan experienced so many great things in life; it was more than he could have ever given her in the city. His daughter truly belonged here, and so did he. He and Pepper.  
  
“Well, Rhodes... This is...”  
  
“Pedey!” Morgan almost shouted. “I named him after you.” She stopped next to Rhodey, looking at him with her big brown eyes, as she waited for his reaction. The baby donkey instantly started pulling at the table cloth with his teeth.  
  
Rhodey didn’t know what to say, so he just made an ‘Aw’ sound, trying to think of something a little more expressive. “That is one hell of a cute donkey!” He touched its head, petting the animal, while he smiled at Morgan. “Is it yours?”  
  
Morgan nodded, not even looking at her parents to see if there might be some disagreement. “I named him after Peter, too.” She lowered her head, as though she was ashamed of it. But when Rhodey ran a hand through her hair, she raised it again and looked back at him.  
  
“I love that,” he told her. “It’s such a cool name for a donkey, Morgan.”  
  
“Be careful, baby,” Pepper butted in, seeing how hard Pedey was now pulling at the table cloth and her daughter surprisingly understood the hint immediately. She yanked on the leash, getting him away from it, but then Morgan’s eyes fell on the one person she hadn’t seen in over a week and she let go of the rope completely, running towards him. “No, honey, wait! You can’t...”  
  
It only took a brief moment until the donkey was running the other way, trying to get away from the crowd. He jumped like a rabbit who had been hit by lighting, destroying everything in its path. Chairs fell, accompanied by the clattering of crockery and cutlery, as tableware shattered on the ground. People were jumping out of the donkey’s way, fearing to just be run into and knocked down. Some of them even screamed in panic, but there wasn’t anyone who tried to escape through the door. In fact, Happy was the first one to block it, so that Pedey couldn’t get out and run off to who the hell knew where. The mini Stark, however, didn’t even seem to be aware of the mess she had made, as she was happily holding onto Peter’s neck, hugging him.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t say hello sooner,” he apologized to her. “I had to… be somewhere. But I’m here now.” Holding her close, Peter watched as Tony and Rhodey tried to catch the wild animal that had been let loose. He smirked, more so at the fact that the child in his arms was completely unfazed by the chaos. “Look what you did, Momo.” Peter was the only one allowed to call her that, Morgan insisted.  
  
She turned, one arm still around his neck, and watched the donkey as it ran from the adults. Her father was chasing after it, attempting to grab the leash, and then fell right flat on his face, shouting at Rhodey to try harder and throwing a curse word around, she had heard before but knew she wasn’t allowed to say. Morgan started laughing like only kids can, loud and long. Her body shook so much with laughter that Peter had to tighten his grasp to keep her from falling. Soon, Morgan cheered Tony on, clapping and chanting, like he was competing against someone in a tournament, and Peter couldn’t help but laugh too, as he joined her cheerleading squad, jumping around with Tony’s baby girl in his arms.  
  
It wasn’t until Pepper Potts decided to step in that they finally managed to capture the donkey. It had taken about fifteen to twenty minutes and the place looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, but no one really seemed to care. They all clapped when the redhead finally got the animal to calm down, locking it safely in her arms. Pepper watched Tony with a smirk, as he sat on the floor, breathless from running around for half an hour.  
  
“You’re a lifesaver, honey,” he panted. “You should come to people’s rescue more often.”  
  
She laughed. “Are you okay, babe?”  
  
“Yeah.” Tony slowly got up from the ground and brushed the dirt off his clothes. “No broken bones and no bruises... _Yet_.”

“Oh, no,” Pepper said, smirking. “I meant are you okay with me stealing your show... Iron Man?”

“It was our daughter’s show,” Tony argued, ignoring the teasing. “And by the sounds of it, she enjoyed it an awful lot.” He looked at Morgan, who met his gaze instantly with a huge smile on her face. “Give me the little monster,” he said, taking the donkey from Pepper. Then he walked over to his daughter and Peter, holding the animal on the leash. He studied Peter from head to toe and realized in an instant that he had been out, chasing bad guys, but Tony chose to ignore that too. “Hi, kid... s,” he said, waving foolishly.  
  
Peter chuckled. It wasn’t the first time he noticed what a huge dork Tony Stark was, but it was always such a funny thing to see. “Is that your birthday present?” he asked, pointing at the animal.  
  
“No, that’s actually...” Tony paused and looked at his daughter. “I think she wants to tell you, don’t you?” Morgan nodded. “So, I’m going to give you your donkey back, but you got to promise me, you won’t let go of that rope ever again. You hear me, baby Stark?” Morgan nodded again. “Promise.”  
  
“I promise,” she said softly.  
  
“I think you should pinky promise.” Tony held up his little finger and Morgan took it. “What happens if you break your promise?”  
  
“My baby finger will break and it will hurt,” she answered, staring at him.  
  
Tony managed to keep the laughter from bubbling all the way up to his face. “You really are a smart girl.” He grinned and kissed her cheek, then Peter put her down and Tony handed her the leash. “There you go,” he said, stroking her head gently, and turned to Peter. “Make sure the pet is back in the shed soon. We don’t need any more casualties, Pete.”  
  
There was something in Tony’s eyes that made Peter feel like he wasn’t solely referring to the incident that had happened with the animal. It was like Tony knew that he‘d been out on a mission as Spider-Man earlier and was trying to tell him that he needed him to take care of himself. Tony never stopped worrying about him and that meant a lot to Peter. Stark had become more than a mentor to him. He was a father figure, like a real dad, and although he would never tell him that, out of the fear to be embarrassed, Peter felt like Tony knew. He’d always known.  
  
“Yes, sir,” Peter said, holding up his little finger. “Pinky promise?”  
  
Morgan giggled while Tony rolled his eyes at him in faux annoyance. “Real funny, kid. Real funny...”  
  
Peter laughed. “I’ll take care of these two, old man, don’t worry.” Looking down at the little girl, he offered her his hand. “How about we go for a walk, Morgan?”  
  
Morgan looked at Tony. He figured she was asking his permission to go with Parker. “It’s alright, honey. Just remember what you promised me, alright? Don’t let go.”  
  
Taking Peter’s hand, she nodded. “I want to keep my finger,” she replied in all seriousness, making Tony grin.  
  
Peter led her outside. It was getting dark, but they could still see enough of their surroundings to walk safely. “Listen, you know your finger isn’t actually going to break if you break your promise, right? Your dad is just saying that to... scare you. And it’s a bit mean, if you ask me.”  
  
Morgan shrugged her shoulders. “Mommy said daddy breaks promises all the time and he still has his little finger.” She frowned. “I think because he is a superhero.”  
  
“No,” Peter said, shaking his head. “It’s because fingers simply don’t break when a promise is broken and I’m sure you do know that.” Stroking her hair, he smiled. “Don’t listen to everything your dad says, Morgan. And, uh, please don’t tell him I said that, okay?” He laughed, patting her small head, and walked with her to the stables. Peter sat in the hay, back leaned against the wall, and Morgan sat down beside him. “So, who is that little friend of yours?”  
  
Morgan smiled when Peter started petting the donkey, showing a real interest in her new companion. “He is just a baby,” she said.  
  
“And you are his mama?” Peter joked and took the leash from her, as he noticed how excited she became. He didn’t want Morgan to break her promise to Tony just because she couldn’t contain herself. And when she giggled, stuffing her hand into her mouth, Peter almost laughed, because that was exactly what he feared would happen. “I was just kidding,” he explained, pulling her into his lap.  
  
“You want to know his name?” the little girl asked excitedly, as she met his gaze, and Peter nodded. “It is...”  
  
“Eeyore?”

“No,” Morgan said, laughing.  
  
“Fred?”  
  
Morgan laughed harder. “Nooooo,” she almost yelled.  
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
Calming down, she looked at him with her eyes wide open and a big smile on her face. “It’s Pedey.” Peter thought for a minute—a minute too long for Morgan’s taste. “You don’t like it?” she asked, her smile fading.  
  
“No, no, no,” Peter shook his head, “I love it.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “You named him after me?” She nodded. “And, um... Rhodey?” She nodded again. Peter sighed; glad he had not made the mistake of guessing it wrong and upsetting her. Upsetting a Stark could be fatal. He knew from experience. “That is so sweet!” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Thank you. I feel very honored.” And then he kissed her temple. “I’ve missed you, you know.”  
  
Morgan snuggled up against him, burying her head in the crook of Peter’s neck. “I missed you, too,” she said quietly and sighed. They sat that way for minutes until she broke the silence, pointing at the floor. “Look, a spider!”  
  
Peter grinned. Morgan Stark was the only toddler he knew that was fascinated by spiders. She loved all kinds of animals. She loved a lot of things in life in general, but there was always something special for her about seeing a spider. Spiders and bugs. She loved every small creature crawling around on this farm. From the very first moment she had made her first step, she was out exploring nature. Peter couldn’t imagine her living in the city. She would probably go nuts. There was a reason Rhodey called her Morgan Montana. She was a farm girl to the tips of her fingers.  
  
“Why do you like spiders so much?” Peter asked. Truth be told, not even he, the one and only Spider-Man, was as fascinated by those small creatures as she was.  
  
“Because spiders are friends with Spider-Man.” Morgan’s answer came quick like a shot. “And I want to be friends with Spider-Man.”  
  
Peter laughed softly. “I know he is your favorite superhero.” He took pride in that, a lot more than Tony liked to see. It was fun teasing him, though. But of course Peter knew Iron Man would always be Morgan’s all-time favorite superhero. Tony knew that too. He had to. Because the adoration this girl had for her father was the most obvious, purest thing in the world.  
  
“Yes, he is,” Morgan said, looking at him with a smile.  
  
“And what’s so great about Spider-Man?” Peter wanted to know.  
  
“I think he’s cute.” She turned her face away, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.  
  
“You think he’s cute?”  
  
“Do _you_ think he’s cute?” Morgan asked in return.  
  
“Oh, I’m sure he’s the cutest,” Peter answered, laughing. He tied the rope around his wrist to make sure the donkey couldn’t get away and put both arms around Morgan, hugging her. How could Spider-Man be the cutest when that title already belonged to her, though?  
  
“Daddy meets Spidey all the time, but he doesn’t come.” Her face was clouded with disappointment, as she pouted. That was her daddy’s pout, Peter noticed, grinning to himself. She pouted like Tony.  
  
“What do you mean, he doesn’t come?” he asked her, but quickly understood what she wanted to say, as he thought about it. “Oh, you mean Tony’s not inviting him to your house to have dinner with you guys or... just hang out?”  
  
Nodding, she blew out air between gritted teeth, as though it annoyed her to even think about it. “Have you seen Spidey?”  
  
“While I was doing my internship, yes. I met him a couple of times.” Peter had talked to Tony about whether Morgan was allowed to know who he was, but Tony hadn’t liked the idea of her worrying about Peter like he did, so they both had decided to wait until she was older.  
  
“You think he would like me?” She snuggled back against the boy she saw as her brother, looking at her now favorite animal, and wondered what it would be like to be friends with Spider-Man.  
  
Peter rubbed his hand up and down her arm, telling her, “He would love you,” and then smiled softly, as she looked up at him. “He would love you so much,” he added. “Almost as much as I do.” Morgan smiled back at him. “And because I love you so much, I will talk to him and tell him that you are his biggest fan. You’d like that?” Morgan couldn’t even nod her head hard enough.  
  
Throwing her arms around his neck, she told him she loved him and he rubbed her back, telling her how happy he was to have her as a sister. She held on to him, like she didn’t want to let go again, and Peter couldn’t wipe that stupid smile off his face. It was still there when Pepper came to get Morgan about thirty minutes later, and she immediately started smiling at the sight of them snuggled up to each other in the hay. Peter was a great kid and an even greater influence for Morgan, and Pepper was really grateful for May to have raised such a sweet, caring young boy that her daughter was lucky enough to have as a friend—a brother.  
  
“Is she asleep?” Pepper whispered, noticing her child wasn’t moving.  
  
“Almost,” Peter replied. “We played with Pedey and then she told me all about the tree house Tony wants to build with her and the pony she’s gonna buy with her own money, and at some point she just got quiet and wanted to cuddle.” Emitting a soft laugh, he handed the toddler to her mother and got up from the ground.  
  
“How does she know about the tree house,” Pepper asked, holding the little girl’s head to her chest. “That was supposed to be a surprise.”  
  
Peter shrugged. “I don’t know. She said she saw Tony’s plans and that he forgot to add a slide so she can get out of there quickly in case of an emergency.”  
  
Laughing, Pepper kissed Morgan’s head. “My smart girl.” She sighed with content, as she nuzzled her daughter's sweet-smelling hair. “Time for you to go to bed.”

“No,” Morgan protested, her voice hoarse and raspy with fatigue.  
  
“Oh, yes!” Pepper chuckled. “Come on... Say goodnight.”  
  
Morgan turned in Pepper’s arms to look at Peter. She yawned loudly and then used whatever strength she had left to wave at him; hard enough that Peter feared her arm might fall off. He gave her a big smile and hearty wave. Then he stepped towards her and hugged Morgan, kissing her head. Pepper watched with a fuzzy feeling inside her chest. Her stomach tumbled, as she imagined what this new life she carried inside would bring to them. She had no idea how to raise a boy, if that’s what she was expecting, didn’t have a brother as a shining example, but she knew it would be an exciting adventure. And being best friends with the woman who had raised the sweet boy Peter Parker was definitely a great asset.  
  
“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Peter said. “Of course I know you’re not afraid of them. You love bugs.” Morgan giggled. “I’ll see you soon, Momo. I love you.”  
  
“Love you too,” she replied, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, and Peter blushed slightly. With Pepper being around, he felt as though he had to act like a tough guy, but that was probably what she experienced with Tony all the time. Everyone was melting in the presence of that kid, even superheroes. “Don’t forget to tell Spidey I also love him.”  
  
“I won’t,” Peter said. “And I’ll let you know what he said.” Pepper looked at him with a grin, eyebrow raised, while her lips were tightly shut to not let that laughter escape. Peter smirked. “I forgot to tell you, May says hi. She’s sorry she couldn’t make it, but wants to get together soon to catch up.”  
  
She smiled. “How about Sunday? For brunch? You can bring MJ.”  
  


“Awesome,” he exclaimed, saluting her. “We’ll talk later.”

* * *

Crouched down beside Morgan’s bed, Pepper smoothed her daughter’s hair off her forehead. She tenderly ran a hand over her cheek, smiling. “So how was your day, sweetie? Did you have a good time?”

“Peter loves Pedey and Pedey loves him back.” She yawned, rubbing her tired eyes. “And uncle Rhodey gave me a coin and uncle Happy said I’m just like daddy and daddy liked my dress and his present...” Her voice fell to a whisper as she continued, “He cried.” Then she giggled.  
  
“Sounds like you had a great day,” Pepper responded with a laugh.  
  
Morgan threw her arms around her mother’s neck, pulling her down to hug her. “Thank you, mommy.”

“What for?” Pepper asked, kissing her daughter’s hair.  
  
“Being my mommy.”  
  
“Aw, honey, you don’t have to thank me. It’s my absolute pleasure.” She smothered Morgan’s face with wet kisses, making the little one squeak with laughter.  
  
“Why aren’t you sleeping, young lady? It’s way past your bedtime.” Tony’s words were almost drowned by the loud noises coming out of Morgan’s mouth.  
  
“Is this becoming a habit now? You, sneaking up on us?” Pepper turned to him amused.  
  
He sat down right next to her, his hand slipping around her body, as he put the other on Morgan’s head. “Actually... I’m starting to feel left out,” Tony said, pouting. “You ladies have so much fun without me.”  
  
“But we love you, daddy,” Morgan assured him, smiling at her father.  
  
“I know, baby,” he said, flashing a soft smile. “So, are you ready for your story?”  
  
“I thought you forgot,” she admitted quietly.  
  
Tony ruffled her hair. “Why? ‘Cause I’m busy celebrating my birthday?” Morgan nodded. “I could _never_ forget this, principessa. We do this every night, remember? And your mama and I will keep doing this until you get sick of it.”  
  
Morgan’s smile reached her ears, excitement plastered on her face, and she rolled onto her side, her head pressing deep into the pillow. Tony pulled the blanket over her shoulder until she was completely tucked in.

“Topic?”

“Pedey.”

“Of course... Why did I even ask?” He laughed. “Setting?”  
  
“Space.”

“Genre... You know, um... Last night we created a pretty great love story about that pirate, the dinosaur, who got married to lady dinosaur in the Caribbean and—“  
  
“They had a pink bathtub.”  
  
“Yes,” Tony said. “Thanks, by the way, for that one, Pep. I almost didn’t know how to continue.”  
  
Pepper laughed. “I’m sorry, but you said there are no rules, so I figured a ship would just be boring storytelling. And it was a _pink_ bathtub after all.”  
  
“Yeah... Very romantic.”  
  
Morgan giggled gleefully, as she remembered the funny expression on her father’s face upon hearing her mother talk about a shiny pink bathtub that the dinosaurs found on the deserted island. It was like she could see the wheels in his head turning until, eventually, he continued, telling her that the dinosaurs used that bathtub as a vessel. That story was one of the best she had ever heard. It had been really sweet and she enjoyed stories about love, but tonight, she wanted something different. Every night she wanted a different story, and every night her parents told a story better than the night before.  
  
“So, what’s it gonna be?“ Tony asked. “Have you decided?”  
  
She thought, knitting her eyebrows. “Funny,” she said first, but quickly changed her mind. “Crime.”

“You really want to challenge us, huh?” Tony looked at Pepper. Her smile seemed to lit up the whole room. Seeing her that happy made his heart flip. It always did. All he wanted was his two women to be happy. “Shall mommy go first?”  
  
“Yes,” Morgan replied.  
  
“Honey, do the honors and begin, will you?”  
  
Smirking, Tony kissed her lips, and then Pepper began the story of how a baby donkey named Pedey was given the opportunity to become an astronaut and fly to the moon. She only said five sentences, then it was Tony’s turn to continue and after he came up with five sentences, the ball was back in Pepper’s court. And so the plot unfolded... At first, their sentences connected in a way that Pedey had to investigate a murder of a crew member on the space shuttle, but then Pepper had somehow managed to twist the plot and suddenly the donkey himself was the prime suspect. Morgan smiled foolishly through the whole thing while her parents challenged each other by creating the weirdest scenarios with those five sentences they formed.  
  
They couldn’t remember why they had started to tell their own, very creative bedtime stories, but it had been going on for over a year now. Each night for about ten minutes, they let their daughter set the tone of a narrative they created. It could include everything and everyone. It had talking animals in real settings, kind of like the animation movies Morgan loved watching. It had real people. People she knew, like Peter and Rhodey. There was no end to their imagination—or their daughter’s—and sometimes, when Morgan couldn’t think of a topic, Pepper and Tony made up a story about their life as a family. It was a game, but it was also a way for them to spend some quality time together after a busy day.

It had, in fact, become such an important part of their life that if one of them couldn’t be there at night because of work, they sometimes facetimed and told their five-sentences stories to each other, long after Morgan was put to bed. It was sickeningly sweet and silly, but the content of their stories usually wasn’t even kid-friendly. Quite the contrary, each sentence filling with more and more smut until those ten minutes became half an hour, a full hour, maybe even more, of them taking turns at dirty talk. And all their stories had a happy ending—or as Tony had once put it: their stories were the only ones were the typical stages of storytelling were mixed up, ending with the climax.  
  
“So, Pedey didn’t kill the hamster?” Morgan asked a bit confused after her parents had finished.  
  
“No, honey,” Pepper said, “Pedey would never do that. The cat was just framing him for something he didn’t do.”  
  
“And it’s in jail now,” Tony added. “You know, there’s a maximum security prison on planet Mars? That’s where they’re taking the cat.”  
  
Both Tony and Pepper looked at her child, as she crinkled her forehead thoughtfully. It was a relief when she clapped her hands together and smiled. “I like this story,” she said, “but I was scared, because I thought Pedey was bad.”  
  
“Are you still scared?” Tony asked and she shook her head. “So you’re gonna sleep peacefully?” Morgan nodded. “And dream sweetly?”  
  
“Yes,” she answered, giggling.  
  
“If you do have a bad dream,” Tony began telling her, “you just call F.R.I.D.A.Y, okay? Because you know her and I are connected… and I can be there right away if there is anything wrong.”  
  
“I know,” Morgan said. “You can go, daddy, I’m fine.” She yawned. “I’m tired.”  
  
“I can see that, you little punk.” He laughed, as he ruffled her hair and gave her a kiss. “Thank you for the amazing birthday present and the sweet cake,” Tony whispered to her, planting another kiss on her cheek. “That was my favorite thing about today.” He smiled sweetly. “And I hope you’re going to wear that dress for me again, because you looked so beautiful, my heart almost couldn’t take it.”  
  
“Your heart is too old,” Morgan said with a giggle, making Tony laugh.  
  
“My heart is too much in love with you,” he countered. “Sometimes I feel like I need a bigger one to hold all the love I have for you, darling.” He glanced at Pepper. “And your mama, of course.”  
  
Morgan fixed her gaze on Pepper. “Mommy is crying again,” she noticed. “I hope it is happy tears.”  
  
“They are happy tears, baby,” her mother said, kissing her. “I’m sorry. I just love watching you with your dad.” Apologizing for her tears, or rather for her hormonal imbalance, would become a lot easier once she told Tony about the pregnancy.  
  
“Your mother cries a lot these days to the point it’s getting kinda weird, I noticed that too,” Tony said, eyeing Pepper. Good thing she had decided to tell him tonight, Pepper thought.  
  
Morgan turned around, as though sleep had suddenly become too overwhelming and breathed a goodnight to both her parents. Pepper and Tony stared at each other in confusion. Then Tony shrugged his shoulders and got back on his feet, helping Pepper up.  
  
“So, it’s just you and me now, huh?” he remarked, grinning at her.  
  
“No,” Pepper said, chuckling, “there’s still a party going on in our barn, so I guess it’ll be another while until it’s just us.”  
  
“Honey, did I mention how annoying it is to know you have secrets?”  
  
“You don’t have to mention it, I can see it on your face,” she told him, smirking. “Your beautiful face, by the way.” Pepper kissed him, long and deep, then broke away slowly and watched him squirm.  
  
“God, what do I have to do to get more of that?” he breathed out, a little frustrated at his own desire.  
  
“Send your guests home.”  
  
“I can do that.”  
  
“In an hour or two.”

“I don’t want that.”  
  
“You don’t?”  
  
“I want it now.”  
  
Pepper laughed at his obvious need for her; for wanting to be alone with her and learn about her secret; to hear her call out his name in a passionate moan while they made love. She checked if their daughter was already asleep, then said, “What if I promise you to have sex with you all night? Will _that_ be worth the wait?”  
  
“I’m sorry, what?” Tony shook his head, as though he already had to shake off certain images, and dragged her along as he left Morgan’s bedroom. “Do you _like_ torturing me?”  
  
“Maybe.” Pepper smirked.  
  
“Definitely.”

“Only sometimes.” Tony sighed and she took his hands in hers, running her thumbs over his knuckles. “One hour, okay? Just sixty more minutes and I promise you, Tony Stark, I’ll be all yours... all night.”  
  
“You _are_ all mine,” Tony corrected her and the pride glowed like a neon light on his face. His expression magically turned Pepper’s smirk into a sweet smile. He kissed her, wrapped his arms around her body, and then held up his little finger. “Pinky promise?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Pepper said, laughing.  
  
“You know what happens if you break it, right?”  
  
“I don’t ever break my promises, Tony. I just hope you can keep up.” She hooked her little finger around his, smirking at him.  
  
“Oh, don’t you worry about my ability to keep... _it_... up,” he replied with a wickedly suggestive grin. “You’d be surprised, babe.”


	4. Can’t Wait to Meet You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Rated M** , because it's smutty. Also, it's cheesy af.

They spent two more hours with all their guests. Peter was the last one to say goodbye. Tony hugged him for almost a minute before he let go and when the boy had disappeared, he let out a long, deep sigh, running a hand through his hair. He looked at Pepper, smiling weakly, and then took her hand, as they walked back to the house. Pepper noticed how quiet Tony was, as if his mind was taking command of his thoughts in a way that bothered him, and when he still hadn’t uttered a single word as they went upstairs, she chose to address it. She worried now.

“Tony, what’s wrong? You okay?” Pepper asked, closing the bedroom door behind her. She kicked off her heels and wriggled her toes in relief.

“Feet hurting?” Tony’s sympathetic voice said.

She cast him a wry smile. “If I could walk around at work, like I do here, I totally would.”

Ever since the two of them moved to the countryside, Pepper had made it a habit to walk around barefoot, unless she was doing farm work. She had also gotten quite a lot of flannel shirts and cutoff denim shorts and skirts, so on her birthday, Tony had given her a Western-style cowboy hat and leather boots to match the cowgirl outfit—he said her new look was a major turn-on, because those itty-bitty denim shorts cupped her fine ass and rode up, exposing the soft curve of her cheeks when she bent over. Tony enjoyed watching her do chores in that outfit; stuff hay into hay nets, sweep the barn aisles and climb the ladder to the top of their silo and throw down corn for the cows to eat. It was incredibly sexy.

“You’re a country queen, babe... a goddess,” Tony said, full of pride, and laid his hands on her hips. His lips curved into a slow, sexy smile. “You should get rid of your dress.”

“Tell me what’s wrong.” It was hard resisting him, but she insisted.

“Just worried about the kid.”

“Peter?”

“Yeah....” Tony sighed. “I think he matured a lot, Pep. He really has. But, you know, he’s still a young boy who doesn’t understand that he’s in way over his head on this superhero thing.”

“He’s not your responsibility, honey. You know that. And he hasn’t done anything... stupid... in years. He’s a kid, yes, but he’s not a fool.” Putting her hands on his face, she stroked Tony’s cheek with both her thumbs. “Remember that time Peter backed down from a fight, because things were getting out of hand and he knew he couldn’t beat that guy? Remember what you told him when that kid was so disappointed with himself he almost cried?”

Tony looked her in the eye and his crinkles slowly softened into tiny, puffy folds. “Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. And knowing when to give up is not a weakness... It’s a strength,” he answered.

Pepper smiled. “Peter knows how to take care of himself, because you’re always there to remind him.“ Kissing Tony’s lips while he held her, she felt the tension leave his body. “He’ll be fine, Tony. Please, don’t worry.”

Tony closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “I just don’t want anything to happen to him... I can’t look out for him anymore.”

“You don’t have to be in a suit to be there for him,” she replied, her voice a whisper like his.

“Yeah, I know...” Tony said, sighing. “It’s just hard. Because I really feel like he’s... my kid.”

“He _is_ your kid,” Pepper answered sweetly. “You two are inseparable.” She gave Tony a soft smile when he opened his eyes to look at her. “And I’m so proud of you, my darling.”

“For what?”

“For being such a great mentor and wonderful father...” Her eyes filled with tears. “And amazing husband.”

“You’re a sap,” Tony remarked with a smirk, stroking her back gently.

“A sap who absolutely adores you,” Pepper said, smirking too.

“So, we’re finally alone now, huh?” Tony noted, as he drew her towards the bed, pushed her back on to it and lifted up her long gown. “Feels like I’ve been waiting a lifetime.”

“Don’t you want your present first?” Pepper asked, taking his face in her hands, and bent Tony’s head down towards hers to kiss him again.

“What is it? You’re finally gonna tell me?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m gonna show you.” She slipped out from under him, standing up.

He buried his head in the pillow and groaned. “Ugh, I _just_ got you into bed and now you’re leaving again?”

Pepper chuckled. “Just give me five minutes. Just five, okay?” Smiling, she disappeared into their en-suite bathroom where she could still hear him mumble a few angry words. It made her grin.

Tony waited. He waited and waited, and it seemed more to him than just five minutes. He sat up in bed, his eyes fixated on the bathroom door. His patience was wearing thin, but could anyone blame him? She had made him wait hours for this. Every time he had tried to worm it out of her—that secret she wouldn’t tell—Pepper had smirked at him, like she was planning some kind of big reveal that was going to blow his mind. And he hated how much fun Pepper had teasing him and that he couldn’t just let it go. She had never been this mysterious about a gift, or anything else in life for that matter. All the more reason for him to be suspicious about it and freak out.

He got up and took his clothes off, leaving his pants on, and returned to bed, sitting down at the edge of it. “Are you done now?” he grunted, loud enough for Pepper to hear, as he threw himself back on the bed. Tony stared at the ceiling while he shuffled his feet nervously.

“Geez, Tony, ease up!” Pepper told him, as she stepped into the room, laughing softly. She saw him there, legs dangling over the side of the bed, arms splayed out as if he were trying to fly.

Tony lifted his head off the mattress and his jaw instantly dropped at the sight of his wife as she stood there in a filmy pale pink negligee he had never seen before. It almost looked translucent against her skin, except for where the dark shadows of her nipples pressed against the fabric. The light in the room embraced her, exaggerating every curve and angle of the body Tony knew so well. Her long shapely legs appeared through the front opening of the negligee. A light blush filled her cheeks, paired with a smile on her lips. She didn’t move much. She just stood there and let Tony devour her with his eyes, inch by breathtaking inch as possessiveness flowed off him in waves. Tony’s breath caught in his throat, his mouth was completely dry. The sight of her almost left him speechless. Almost.

“You’re sizzling!”

Pepper chuckled and made a few steps forward until she was right in front of him. “Close your eyes,” she said, smirking at him.

“You‘re wearing _that_ and you want me to close my eyes?” Tony replied, as he reached out to touch her.

“No,” she said, slapping his hand away gently. “Please, close your eyes. I need you to listen.”

“Listen to what?” Tony scoffed, his frustration bubbling underneath.

“You’ll know if you close your eyes,” Pepper said, grinning. She knew he wasn’t really mad at her. Frustrated maybe, but not angry.

“Fine. My eyes are closed. See!” He shut them, pointing at them with his index fingers. “Closed. Just like you wanted.”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?” she addressed the AI. “Will you please play the recording? You know, the one that—“

“I know,” F.R.I.D.A.Y answered.

“Wait, how come _she_ knows and I don’t?” Tony wondered. He was a little offended. Then again, should he even be surprised? F.R.I.D.A.Y always seemed to know what was going on around her, just like his good friend J.A.R.V.I.S had.

“Shut up and listen, Tony!” Pepper demanded, and Tony immediately followed her command.

He listened quietly to the recording, listened closely for about a minute, and the second he actually realized what he was listening to, he gulped, his eyes flooding with tears. He let them spill down his face and land like raindrops on his hands. More tears erupted, giving way to the avalanche. He didn’t care. He just sat there in silence, crying. And he smiled. He smiled, tasting the salt of his own tears, keeping his eyes closed, as he listened to his baby’s strong and healthy heartbeat. This couldn’t be real, he thought. It just couldn’t. Because what on Earth had he ever done to deserve this?

“Now open them,” Pepper said, and it was as if Tony could actually hear her smiling. “Open your eyes.”

Tony‘s eyes fluttered open and, to his surprise, Pepper had shrugged out of her negligee and stood there completely naked. His gaze took in her sweet face, her skin shining in its lucency. Tony let his eyes feast on her rising peach-tipped breast for a moment until he noticed the words on her stomach. His vision was blurry from tears, but the red lipstick she had used to write them with was so bright, reading what they said wasn’t difficult at all: ‘I can’t wait to meet you, daddy!’

Tony reached out a hand and put it on her stomach, as though he had to touch the words—feel them—to convince himself there were true. Pepper’s muscles twitched at the contact made with her skin. He ran his hand over her belly, tracing each letter, as if he was writing the words all over again. When he’d finished, he looked up at his wife in disbelief. Surprised. Speechless. Still crying silent tears, Tony opened his mouth, releasing a breath, but he remained quiet. It was simply impossible for him to speak.

A slow, sexy smile cut into Pepper’s cheeks, as she saw his reaction. A twinkle in her eyes appeared and then they were just sparkling at him full-on. When was the last time he had seen her so happy? He couldn't remember. Had she ever looked that happy to him? No. If she had, he would be able to remember it. In her hand, he noticed now, she was holding a small piece of paper that looked a bit like a Polaroid picture. Tony didn’t have to think hard to know what it was. The recording had stopped playing, but he could still hear the pulse of the baby’s heart in his ears. He would never forget that sound. _Whoom, whoom, whoom._ It was the most wonderful, comforting sound he’d ever heard.

"This is for you," Pepper said, as she opened Tony’s hand and put the picture into his palm, while he seemed unable to move a muscle. "Happy birthday, daddy!" Her voice, which was barely above a whisper, cracked, and she felt her own eyes well up with tears.

Tony slowly, as if he was afraid to look at it, turned the picture in his hands to see its front. Clutching the ultrasound photo, he stared at it. He saw a perfect little bean. How could he know it was perfect when it was just small fetus? Well, they didn’t make imperfect babies. They made beautiful babies—proof of that was right next door—and that one right there was yet another one of these magical beings they created. Tony couldn’t describe the emotion he felt looking at the first sonogram of their second child. _Been there, done that,_ he had thought. He‘d been so sure that after knowing what it felt like to become a dad, after having Morgan, he would be ready for this kind of emotional rollercoaster ride. But boy, had he been wrong. He felt everything all over again.

“You ever gonna talk to me again?” Pepper let out a low chuckle and cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing away a tear.

“You really are pregnant?” His voice was weak from crying, but Tony had never felt more alive.

Pepper laid her hands on her belly and smiled at him through tears, as she nodded. “I just... I was... When I went to see my doctor to confirm it, I was already seven weeks along.” She looked at her hands, feeling their child growing there. “I didn’t wanna tell you anything until I was sure everything was okay, ‘cause I was afraid I could...”

Tony put his hands on hers, looking up into her eyes. No one knew, but they had almost lost Morgan. The first few months of her pregnancy, they had literally gone through hell, not even knowing if their beautiful baby was going to make it. There had been complications, but they had never given up hope. And when their daughter was born, Pepper’s labor had been so fast that there was no doubt at all that their baby had a strong will to live. Ever since then, however, the fear of having to go through a risky pregnancy again had been omnipresent in the back of their minds.

“This is a miracle!” Tony whispered, rubbing his thumbs across the back of her hands. He smiled and sniffed away a tear, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “It’ll be okay this time, Pep... We’ll be okay.”

“The baby looks perfectly healthy,” Pepper spoke softly. “No sign of any—“

“See?” He chuckled out some relief. “No need to worry.” In this moment, he would’ve promised her anything just to put her mind at ease, but it was better to make her promise he really believed in. “This time, you’ll be able to enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Is that a promise?”

“It’s a fact,” Tony replied. With two quick twists of his fists, he rubbed the last of his tears from his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he then said, “When we got married, I promised I’ll always take care of you and I’m determined to keep that promise. I won’t let anything happen to you or our baby, Pepper. Including the one that’s already driving us crazy.”

She laughed. “Speaking of crazy... Can you imagine how excited our daughter will be when you tell her?”

“Tell her what?” Tony frowned.

“That she’s gonna be a big sister.”

“I thought you would...” He sighed. “Honey, I can’t talk to our daughter about sex. I don’t even want her to know what it is. I have _nightmares_ thinking of the day she’s gonna... indulge in sexual activity.” Tony shuddered at the thought. “Can’t we just let her believe in—“

“If you want her to believe that the Stork delivers newborn babies, you can do that... which, by the way, I’d be happy to support... I’m just not going to be the one who tells her.” She smirked at him. “And I’m not even sure she’s gonna buy that.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Tony mumbled. Their daughter was a really smart child, a smartass on some days even, and he wasn’t one hundred percent convinced—only, like, twelve percent—that she would believe in the idea of the Stork. He was doomed, a goner.

Pepper noticed his dark expression, knew that he was already dreading the moment, and couldn’t help but giggle. He looked up at her and it only made her giggle more. “I’m sorry, Tony. I’m really sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” he remarked with a little smirk on his face, and she started to laugh loudly.

“No, I’m not,” Pepper said, laughing, as she leaned forward. Tony’s face pressed into her cleavage, teasing him, but she drew back too fast for him to snuggle against it.

His gaze met hers and they stared at each other for a while, as silence settled between them. It wasn’t an awkward silence. It was more like the companionable silence of two people who do not speak because there is no need to say anything. It was a feeling they both shared; a feeling so strong that it sufficed without words. And this thing happened a lot between them. It always had. There simply was no need to speak, and they both clearly understood that just by looking at each other. And it was one of these moments were they broke out into a big smile before one of them decided—usually it was Tony—to break the silence.

Quietly speaking, Tony asked her, “Is it a boy?”

“I don’t know,” she said, smiling. “You know it’s too early to tell.”

“Yeah...” Tony ran his hand over her flat belly and bent over to press his lips to her stomach, right where his hand had been. Pepper sighed. It ended on a tiny moan.

“Do you _want_ it to be a boy?” She asked curiously, combing his hair with her fingers.

He lifted his head, looking into her eyes, as he thought for a moment before he gave her an answer. “I think, I do,” Tony admitted quietly with a shy smile on his face. She smiled back at him. “But, y’know, another girl is fine, too. I just want our baby to be healthy.”

Pepper cupped his cheek with one hand, smoothing her thumb under his eye to wick away the moisture, his skin so soft. Seeing him be so emotional had taken a bit getting used to, but it only made her love him more. Since he became a dad, Tony had learned to deal with his emotions and not shy away from them. He cried when he felt like it and talked about his worries and darkest fears. Sometimes he may need a little push, but she didn’t have to worry anymore that he would keep anything from her. He was completely open and honest about his feelings now.

“I love you.” His voice was soft and sweet, a little raspy. It didn’t crack, but she could tell he was fighting back tears. “I love you so much.”

Pepper looked at the giant ball of mush in front of her, overwhelmed by the love she saw in his beautiful, big brown eyes, and a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. “I love you too,” she breathed softly. “And I’m so happy you are mine.”

Tony smiled like the rise of the sun. “I’m so happy you are mine, too,” he told her, and they both chuckled, as they realized how cheesy they were. It wasn’t like they cared, though. All that mattered to them was the fact they were together, as husband and wife, and would always be together. Nothing could ever change that. He kissed her then, wrapping his arms around Pepper’s neck gently and pulling her head down to take her lips, and joy seemed to swirl and dance about them.

Pepper was rocked with emotion. A surge of desire flooded her senses like a burst dam. Every fiber of her being screamed out for him to take her. She needed to feel him. Inside. “Make love to me,” she whispered, closing her eyes, and her voice was layer of layer of raw aching sexual tension, waiting to be released.

“I always make love to you,” Tony countered, smirking a little.

Normally, she would have laughed at his words, but she was now so consumed by her desire, blazing with passion, she simply couldn’t. “Please,” Pepper uttered—it was only a breath—and rolled her hips into his touch in desperate need, hoping to spark a reaction from him. It seemed that her body had developed a mind of his own.

Tony watched, amusement showing on his face, as she pushed against him. Just a few hours ago, he had been the one desperately trying to be alone with her. Not solely for the reason to have sex with her, though that was part of it, but he had been craving it. And now, funnily enough, Pepper was the one, who obviously couldn’t think of anything else but being with him anymore. Being with him in that way where he was balls deep inside her—which clearly was the best way to be with him. Seeing that ardent desire so visibly on her face, Tony felt little muscles tighten around his reproductive organs until eventually, he was rock-hard.

Pepper fell into his lap and moved her hips rhythmically. Hands low on her waist, as she shifted her weight, grinding slowly against him in all the right places, Tony swallowed hard. He rocked his pelvis under hers and she moaned breathily in his ear at the sheer pleasure of feeling the thickness of his erection heavy between her legs. Pepper sealed her mouth to his. His arms wrapped around her body in a flash, Tony’s hands curving around her bottom and bringing her closer. He dropped nipping kisses along her collarbone, then his lips trailed lower into the V of her cleavage.

“I should get out of these pants,” he said against her skin.

She moaned, as if she wanted to say that she agreed with him, and he chuckled, noticing she had lost the ability to speak, at least in this very moment. Tony leaned back, taking her with him, and tried to wiggle out of his pants without moving too much, while his lips glued to hers. He sat back up, his boxers still around his thighs, as he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a newborn kitten. Tony let her weight sink her down, allowing the tip of his cock inside her, stretching her. Her breath hitched in a gasp when its smooth length slipped into the deepest recesses or her body, filling her up completely.

“Tony...”

Pepper bit her lip with a barely suppressed moan and took his face into her hands so she could look straight into his eyes. Tony was driving up into her and she was grinding down on him, and he played on every quivering nerve fiber as he would play his grand piano, with wild passion and pure devotion; like making love to Pepper Potts-Stark was the best thing to happen in the music industry since Beethoven’s symphony no. 9. His movements were slow and yet with such force that Pepper felt each thrust deeper than the one before.

“You... love... that?” Tony got out, each word punctuated with another thrust. His gaze was fastened to her body, his eyes staring back at her, while he cupped Pepper’s buttocks, strong hands kneading each as if she were dough he shaped.

“God, you’re so good at this,” she managed to form a whole sentence. Then she threw her head back and held on for the ride, as Tony picked up speed.

“I’m just getting started, honey,” he replied, turning the next groan into a low chuckle.

Next thing she knew, she was laying on her back, feeling the softness of the mattress beneath her and the weight of him on top of her. Tony’s hands cupped her breasts and she buckled against them, her nipples hardening against his palms. His mouth captured her upper lip and pulled softly before moving to her lower lip to do the same. Pepper bit back a moan, but when he closed his lips around one pouting nipple and then the other she couldn't help making a sound. Every ounce of him was involved in the effort to make love to her, and she could feel that. She felt it every time. No other man had ever touched her like he did.

Tony let his tongue glide over the tip while his hand rolled her other nipple between his fingers, and he couldn't stop a groan of his own as her hips rocked against his. He felt himself burning hotter with each second, each rub of her hips. His teeth took delicate hold of Pepper’s nipple and gave a small tug. She moaned out loud and arched her back, pressing her breasts more firmly against him. The heat and sound of his breath stirred a deep ache in her core. She scored her nails on his scalp, feeling like she would come at this very moment if he didn't stop what he was doing.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, and he met her gaze with love and passion. His hand moved to the side of her face, stroking her cheek, and he wore a smile so beautifully, Pepper wished she could frame it and hang it on a wall for everyone to see. She put her hands around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers. She smiled uncontrollably, almost giggled. She would never get tired of looking at his face; of Tony’s face being the last thing she saw when she went to bed and the first thing when she woke up. She knew every line, every crinkle around his eyes and the small cleft in his chin covered by his soft facial hair. It was a face that had written love all over it—love for her, love for her daughter and love for that baby she carried. Tony was full of love.

“Take me," she breathed against his lips. "Take what's yours, Tony." She gasped when he plunged into her, not having expected him to react instantly to her demand. "Yes," Pepper moaned, "right like that."

Digging her fingers into his back, she let out another soft moan. Tony silenced it with a deep kiss. Pepper tasted him, savored the intimacy of their kiss, her body coming to life underneath his. With every hot stroke, with each burning thrust, Tony’s body declared his love. He was sure he had bruises where her fingers had dug into his flesh. And he had never felt better. He felt her fingers ran down his back until she held a rounded buttock in each hand. Caressing the supple flesh, Pepper guided his movements, and it seemed that with every move, she wanted to feel him deeper inside. Her eagerness sent Tony’s lust into overdrive, yet he managed to keep their sex an act of love-making, not mindless fucking.

He wanted to take his time with her, wanted her to enjoy herself for as long as possible before she lost every bit of control. And he knew exactly how to do this, because he had years of experience of making love to this woman. He watched her, watched her whole body react to the thrusting of his hips. Each time her muscles clamped down and sensations tore through his body, the pleasure burst through him. Tony released a low growl, as he drove himself into her, riding her, claiming her, like she had wanted him to. Her nails dug deep into his skin, as she gripped his ass even tighter, and it dawned on him that he might be on top, but she was in control.

Pepper bit her lower lip right before another cry escaped her throat and then she opened her eyes to look at him, and it was like he could feel the heat of the fire burning inside her. It filled him with pride. That he could make her ride a high like this gave him immense satisfaction. He had never felt anything like that before. The way his heart swelled with love upon the feeling of being inside her didn’t compare to anything he had ever experienced in his life. And this feeling never stopped. Every time they made love, he was completely overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. Their sexual embrace was the embodiment of real unity between two people. He was certain of that.

Leaning into her neck, he whispered roughly, “Stay with me, baby.”

“I... can’t,” she gasped, her body rocking with each thrust.

“Just a lil’ more,” he said.

Her eyes were closed in senseless delight. Her lips parted and opened in shallow breaths as she reveled in the tormenting and exquisitely slow moving of Tony’s hips. The passion on her face was beautiful to watch. He couldn’t stop staring at her. Tony almost pulled out of her, only to push in again. Pepper called out his name, like a personal prayer—or a curse; he wasn’t sure—unaware of her nails raking down his back. Her reaction was so hot, such a turn-on, that he tried to do it again, to pull out of her completely this time, but she wouldn’t let him. Her hands cupped against his butt to keep him in place and Tony found that Pepper wanting to be in control was just as sexy. Suddenly, he was feeling like the one who was burned by sensations of pleasurable pain.

He made a deep noise in his throat, grunting in the hollow of her neck, “Fuck, Pepper,” and nipped at her shoulder with small love bites.

Her body tightened unmercifully around his thick erection. Pepper was barely aware that she was screaming when she came, blood rushing into her ears as wave after wave hit her. Tony thrust once more, shuddering his release, as he filled her with everything he had. Fire shot across his skin as she forced her lips on his, kissing him fiercely, as though she was trying to silence his cries. He collapsed over her, breathing roughly. She lay under him, limp, her breathing ragged. Minutes passed without a word being spoken. Then, rolling slowly, Tony pulled away from the heated moisture of her body. He brought her with him into the cradle of his arms. Brushing damp tendrils of her hair away from her face, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“I’m telling you, honey... You being in control... It’s my kink. You should bring handcuffs next time.”

Pepper laughed. “I can’t believe you wasted this... romantic moment... on that.”

She looked at him and he arched an eyebrow at her. “Would you mind?”

“Are you actually... into... that?” she asked, slightly confused.

They had joked about this before, many times, but she’d never really believed that he was serious about it. Come to think of it, though, why was she even surprised to find out that he was? This type of sex game did sound like something Tony Stark would be very much into. And she was obviously very much into him, so the thought of going there with him, made her involuntarily smirk.

“Would. You. Mind?” Tony repeated his question curiously, emphasizing every word of it.

Pepper’s smirk grew wider. “One condition,” she said.

“That being?”

“We _both_ get a shot.”

Tony’s eyebrow scrolled up higher, incredulous at the bent of the conversation. “You’d let me handcuff you to the bed?”

Pepper raised her own brows, not saying a word but letting her eyes do the talking. Tony flinched. He’d figured she might like it, or maybe only hoped she would, but to know she was one hundred percent on board with this was definitely a surprise. Even better. She not only wanted to be in control, she wanted _him_ to be. She wanted him to have his way with her, and sure, he had had his way with her while having sex—flashback earlier—but this was different. Pepper would be completely and utterly at his mercy, and God, he would love that. Just the thought of it sparked a reaction in his groin.

“Pepper Potts, you naughty little girl,” Tony purred, his gaze glued to her body. When he raised his eyes to meet hers, she was grinning like crazy. “You know, this is clearly the best birthday ever.”

“Oh, I’m sure it is,” she said with a chuckle.

“Now back to that romantic moment...”

Tony’s arm came around her, holding her close. As she leaned against him, her head tucked into his shoulder, she felt the soft pressure of his lips on her hair. Pepper sighed and closed her eyes. His hand brushed her cheek, trailing down, and then it went still on her pregnant tummy. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the words still visible on her moist skin and spread his fingers as if to encompass all that lay beneath the surface. Suddenly he moved, and she was about to protest but then opened her eyes and saw him with his head above her stomach. He whispered something—she couldn’t understand it—and kissed her lower belly. With a huge smile upon his face, Tony came back to lie next to her and she gazed at him, waiting for him to speak. He didn’t. She waited. But waiting didn’t seem to get her anywhere, because he didn’t say anything.

He had a soft-edged look, sweet, yet emotional, as if he were recalling a pleasant memory or, and that seemed more likely, imagining ways to make new ones. When she grazed the nape of his neck with her nails, he shivered. Pepper tightened her hold around his waist and nuzzled her face against his, inhaling his rich scent. A smile graced her lips, as she snuggled even closer. She felt so warm and content in his arms that she didn’t ever want to leave. A small tear welled up in the corner of her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek. She could only hope that she made Tony as happy as he made her.

“What did you say?” Pepper finally asked, whispering.

Tony turned his head and when their gazes met, he smiled happily, brown eyes filling with joyful shining tears. “I can’t wait to meet you, too,” he answered, and his voice took on a dreamy, faraway tone.


End file.
